War. We are done with that outmoded way to solve problems. Haven’t we humans evolved past invasions, bombings, and genocide? That is for history. That is for the movies. At worse, maybe some small time dictator of a little Middle Eastern, Balkan or African state will use those old fashioned tools of war. We now turn to the United Nations, International Courts, and the World Trade Organization to solve problems.

Sadly, the past is not past. War is real in 2022.

35 days ago Vladimir Putin sent the Russian troops across the border to invade Ukraine. He is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in just over a month.

Where are the rules? Why is this happening?

Human-kind is trying to end war. After 200,000 years of modern humans, we have finally evolved enough to take global efforts to stop war.

After the ‘war to end all wars,’ World War I, we made a major jump and created the League of Nations. But, like all new laws, there were too many loop holes. And peace was not permanent. World War I morphed into World War II on two sides of the globe. Then, we got really serious. We created the United Nations. That was 77 years ago. Only .0005 % of man’s history. So, you see, it is not surprising that we aren’t very good at this peace keeping thing. We are new at it.

From the ashes of the two wars in the 20th century we formed the Charter of the United Nations. We admit that the best of mankind can not develop socially, economically, or philosophically during war. Spending our best men and women on battles. Spending our wealth on invasions and military equipment. Destroying our ability to trade. Killing our babies. We can do better.

The Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations:

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war…
AND For these ends
to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and
to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples…

Very cool, right?

I know! I am a big fan of the United Nations and its good work.

Admittedly, the United Nations has its limitations when it comes to keeping the peace. But, it has done pretty well since World War II, hasn’t it? I know, there was the Korean War only 5 years after WW II. And then the Vietnam War. Well, I realize there is a list of wars, military maneuvers, “special military operations/denazification.” I did a Google search on the “wars of the 21st century.” Shocking! Whoa! And who is involved? The United States is doing a lot of warring in the Middle East. And the United States got help: “Eighty-four Coalition partners have committed themselves to the goal of eliminating the threat posed by ISIS and have already contributed in various capacities to the effort to combat ISIS in Iraq, Syria, and globally.” Russia has been busy - Chechnya, Georgia, and Ukraine. There are others: Israel and Palestine, Chad and Sudan, Macedonia, North Korea and Japan…

OK. Despite all of those battles, operations, and other euphemisms for war. And despite the development of nuclear weapons, no leader has pushed the big red button that could lead to the destruction of the world. There has been no red button pushing, despite those countries being led by some pretty crazy and self serving leaders, i.e. Mao, Khruschev, Trump, and Putin.

We are closer to eliminating war than any other time in the history of human-kind. The world wars of the 20th century as well as the development of nuclear weapons have left us with a particularly bad taste for wars. Wars are no longer small duels or skirmishes; wars can wipe out whole generations of men and a country’s culture and economy. To wage war, the positives must look like they outweigh the negatives. And the little people, not only the king, have learned that they will be fodder for the leader who is hiding in his castle untouched by bombs. Democracy is not a friend of war. The 18 year old soldier might be talked into thinking that war will bring him glory and the girls, but soon war is just death, illness, lost limbs. War doesn’t get you a job when you go home. War makes you crazy.

Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.

Wilfred Owen, “Dulce et Decorum Est”

But, today there are more advocates for developing systems to insure peace. The Dalai Lama. Bishop Tutu. The European Union. Your mother. Didn’t she teach you to be kind? To solve your problems and disagreements by working through things? And, that soccer coach in high school - did she show you how to play and win with compassion?

“Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.” — Yoda (“Star Wars”)